This is a race between two Ivy League-educated lawyers with sharply contrasting legal philosophies. What guides our endorsement, however, is experience. That’s why we endorse Peter Kelly for this bench.

Kelly, 55, is a veteran civil attorney who has practiced for 28 years, is a partner at Kelly, Durham & Pittard and ran unsuccessfully for the 14th Court of Appeals in 2016. He has an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard and received his law degree at the University of Texas.

He’s running against Jennifer Caughey, who was appointed to this bench last year.

Caughey, 37, grew up in Houston, went to Princeton as an undergraduate, then to Harvard Law School. After getting her law degree she worked at a prominent civil law firm in Washington, D.C., where one of her favorite colleagues and running companions was the soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Caughey returned to Houston to join Baker Botts from 2012 to 2014, then was of counsel at Smyser, Kaplan and Veselka before her appointment to the 1st Court in October 2017. She had to wait until then so she could qualify for the position which requires 10 years of experience as a lawyer.